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The Medallion of the Imperial Psychopath

A Napoleon: Total War after action report in which I attempt to lead a madman to victory over all of Europe

Russia is a giant, if it can be mobilized to face the deadly danger to peace that is Napoleon Bonaparte.

It is also a nation that is recovering from the assassination of the reforming Tsar Paul in 1801, a man who was too interested in reform to be left on the throne. Rumour has it that Tsar Alexander was complicit, at the very least, in his father’s death. Paul had taken Russia to war against revolutionary France. Now Alexander is beginning to realize that a French, or rather, Napoleonic hunger for victories will drag Russia into war once again. If Russia is to be seen as a major power in Europe, she must behave as a major power, or accept French domination of Europe.

This is why Russia now contemplates war against France again. There may be incidental gains to be made in Poland and Prussian-dominated Germany, but the threat of the new French Empire is real. Napoleon has set himself up as the equal of the Tsar, and that is an implicit challenge. There are potential allies and some, like the English, have very large treasuries.

Russian soldiers may be tough and ready, but her generals are cunning commanders. Russia also has the advantage of time and space, should a war go badly. No invader from the west can comprehend the emptiness of the steppes, deal with the vast distances of Russia, or survive the merciless campaigns of “General Winter.”

-Introduction to the Russian campaign

Tsar Paul I

Challenge

To receive the Medallion of the Imperial Psychopath achievement by declaring war on all nations immediately upon starting the game, accepting no peace and still being victorious.

Victory Conditions

Capture and hold twenty five regions, including Ingria, Greater Poland, Moldava & Bessarabia, East Prussia, Finland, Galicia and Moscow Guberniya by the end of December 1812.

Start of the campaign - victory regions to be captured are shown in red

The Players

Tsar Aleksandr I

Also known as Aleksandr the Psychopath, he is a man with much to prove after his suspected role in the death of his father. With the coalition severely pressed by Napoleon in the west, Aleksandr broke off ties with his former allies and opportunistically declared war on all the nations of Europe in an act of supreme hubris.

In order to successfully achieve his goals of grabbing as much land from his neighbors as possible, Aleksandr will need more than an appreciation of soldiers in uniform; he will need help from a number of great men from military, social and less reputable circles. Fortunately for Aleksandr, those men are willing and able to help him pursue his dreams of conquest.

Chancellor Adam Jerzy Czartoryski

Every monarch needs good men supporting him, and Adam Czartoryski is such a man. As Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire he is responsible for increasing the lackluster support the government has with the Russian people. His rabid support for maintaining the status quo does not make him beloved of the downtrodden, though his knowledge of all things farming helps offset this with the peasants somewhat. Unfortunately for them, he doesn’t much care.

Lord Treasurer Aleksey Vasilyev

An army might march on its stomach, but every prince knows that the sinews of war are made of money. With no nations to trade with, Vasilyev has the almost impossible task of raising enough money to keep the Russian army armed and supplied. It surely weighs heavily on his mind that more than his job is at stake if he fails to raise enough money to pay the armies of the man who declared war on all of Europe!

Lord High Prosecutor General Pavel Lopukhin

Lopukhin is in the unfortunate position of a man who is more qualified than one of his peers to do their job, but will not speak up because of the status quo. Each day he dreams of fulfilling his potential, and every day he awakes to the same tedium. Still, he toils away as best he can in his duties as there are far worse things to be than Lord High Prosecutor, just the average Russian peasant.

The Players (cont.)

Lord Secretary of the Army Sergey Vyazmitinov

Armies are led by generals but they’re raised by men like Vyazmitinov. The rise or fall of the Russian Empire will surely rest on his skill as Lord Secretary of the Army just as much as it does on the men in uniform themselves.

Lord Secretary of the Fleet Yuriy Olevsky

There’s nothing more useless than a Lord Secretary of the Fleet of an empire without a fleet except the same man who embezzles money. Bad for finances and bad for morale, this man’s not long for this world with his hand in the cookie jar while his nation is at war with everyone and their standing armies. Finances will be tight enough without freeloaders such as him draining the coffers.

General Count Levin August von Bennigsen

At sixty years of age, General von Bennigsen is the most experienced offer in the Russian army. Beloved by the men for his habit of always being at the front and never shying away from the action, he is known for reliving his glory years as a cavalry officer by riding down fleeing enemies himself! This is cause for great concern among his staff, but rank does have its privileges.

Sharing dreams of conquest with Tsar Aleksandr, von Bennigsen was complicit in the death of Tsar Paul. If the Russian empire is to have success on the battlefield against not only Napoleon but all of Europe, this old war dog is going to have to have one more brilliant campaign added to his storied career.

General Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov

A member of the Order of Saint Andrew the First-Called, Kutuzov is the general after von Bennigsen that Russia will lean on most heavily in the coming storm. A courageous leader, Kutuzov leads from the front in the finest Russian army tradition.

Strong willed as only a leader of Russian men can be, there is little on the earth that can keep this man from his duty leading Russia to victory over her enemies.

The Players (cont.)

General Fyodor Fyodorovich Buxhoewden

As not only a harsh drillmaster but also a drunk, Buxhoewden is liked by neither his soldiers nor his staff. Somehow he is going to have to overcome this dislike if he is to get out from under the shadow of his far superior fellow generals. That is if he doesn’t end up with a musket ball in his back during a particularly chaotic moment of an upcoming battle.

Mikhail Speransky

Known as the father of Russian liberalism, Speransky is a close advisor to Aleksandr. One of the youngest Russians to receive a doctorate, he is destined to one day be a professor of mathematics and physics. Russia is going to need this brilliant young mind to perform miracles of innovation if it is to keep pace with the major powers on the European stage.

Oleg Trubachev

With all of Europe aligned against her, Russia will need to use every tool at her disposal to overcome the challenge of pissing everybody off at the same time. Trubachev is one of those tools. Most at home when operating abroad, he excels at hindering enemies where they can least defend themselves with their field armies: at home. Trubachev’s motto is “As the size of the explosion increases, the number of problems it is incapable of solving approaches zero.” He intends to prove it to be true.

Opening Gambit

Early January 1805

My advisors want me to form an alliance with Prussia to stave off the French, but I say to hell with them! The Imperial Russian army is second to none; we need ally ourselves with no nation as all are beneath us. Not only do I dismiss their advice, but I send messengers far and wide to take notice to all the nations of Europe, letting them know of my intention to take my rightful place as the only Emperor in the land. Napoleon be damned! If those coalition fools knew what was good for them they’d ally against me. But no, they cannot look past their own petty squabbles to see their doom fast approaching. No matter, soon enough all shall fear Russia!

Current Russian regions are shown in white, future Russian regions are shown in red

With the empire at war, now is the time to remove excess weight. Since all of my income is going to be funneled into the army, I have no immediate need for a navy, less still for that useless minister Yuriy Olevsky. He has grown far too comfortable in his role and is known to be skimming something for himself off of the navy’s budget. No longer, for him it is a public execution. Let this be a lesson to his replacement, Eduard Sazhin.

Sazhin has small shoes to fill

Sazhin has no more than one year to get his office into shape as by then I plan to start building a navy to make even the arrogant British quake on their little island. If Sazhin fails me as his predecessor did, no force on earth will be able to spare him from my fury. Learn well from the mistakes of your predecessor Sazhin!

With the ministry in order for now, it is time to look to my military campaigns. The largest immediate threat is Austria to my southwest. They are not too pleased with me breaking our alliance right as Napoleon makes his grab for land, so I shall treat them as a priority. Vienna will make a fine base of operations for further incursions to the west as well as into the Italian peninsula.

Next in order are the Prussians to my west. I’ll refrain from taking their lands unless they make a move first as I need to concentrate all available forces against Austria. They should not take this as a sign of weakness on my part, lest I turn my mighty armies in their direction sooner rather than later.

To the south lies the Ottoman Empire, sure to be a nuisance to me as I execute my plans. They shall be eliminated last as our border is small and easy enough to secure once I take Iasi. In order to help facilitate this Oleg Trubachev has worked his way into the city and is in position to feed me information about their defenses prior to General Buxhoewden’s attack. It is only a matter of weeks now before Iasi is taken and my southern border secure from the Ottomans.

Trubachev sneaks into Iasi

Mikhail Speransky has been sent to the Imperial College at Nizhny Novgorod to study. The sooner he can acquire new knowledge the better positioned I will be to exploit the ignorance of my foes. Knowledge is power, and other than money, power is what I shall need the most in order to achieve my conquest.

Opening Gambit (cont.)

Late January 1805

Treachery! An assassin gained access to General Kutuzov in the dark of night and made an attempt on his life. Being of stern body as well as mind, the general lived but was wounded. He had to be transported back to Moscow and the absence of his commanding presence has caused a delay to his army’s march on Lemberg.

Although the would-be assassin escaped capture, I am confident that this was the act of Prussia in retaliation for the sacking of Cracow by Kutuzov the previous week. In particular, the burning of the member’s club there no doubt annoyed Prussia greatly. This attempted assassination shall not go unpunished; Prussia will be made to pay dearly for this.

Seeing an opportunity to shine with Kutuzov temporarily out of the picture, Buxhoewden sprang into action and marched on Iasi ahead of schedule. The information gained by Trubachev was put to good use as Buxhoewden made his move just after Ottoman forces left the city heading south. When Buxhoewden arrived the remaining Ottomans were so cowed by him that the city surrendered without a shot being fired. The few soldiers remaining left the city with their tails between their legs. With Russia barely managing on its current income capturing territory without losing any men is a great boon to the empire. This wise move by Buxhoewden is a good sign that he has many more great deeds in service to the Empire yet to come. I await them eagerly.

Iasi surrenders

Early February 1805

Kutuzov has recovered faster than his physicians could have hoped for and is ready to rejoin his men at the front once more. Unfortunately he will not be able to reach Lemberg in time for the attack but he will surely be greeted as a hero when he arrives in the soon-to-be-captured city.

The general’s speedy recovery cannot but help make we wonder if he was as grievously wounded as he made himself out to be. Kutuzov knows that Buxhoewden is looking for any opportunity to replace him and this may have been an opportunity to see how Buxhoewden would react with Kutuzov out of the picture. This man is craftier than I originally gave him credit for; I shall have to keep a close eye on him during the course of these endeavors.

Kutusov returns to action

For once my ministers do something useful. They advise me to capture Aobo from the Swedish. This is indeed a wise plan as it would secure my northern border from invasion by land. I shall send men as soon as I am confident that the Prussians will trouble me no more in the west.

First Blood

The Prussians have taken umbrage at my forces massing just inside the border of East Prussia and sent a probing attack to test General von Bennigsen. Outnumbered almost three to one and without the proper leadership of a gentleman soldier, they stood little chance of dislocating von Bennigsen from his chosen position. Though his guns had yet to arrive from the east, von Bennigsen easily destroyed the Prussian force with little loss of his men. On the snowy plains of East Prussia the first blood of my enemies has been spilled. Rest assured that it shall not be the last.

First Blood (cont.)

Honoring their absent commander’s wishes, Kutuzov’s men continued their march on Lemberg. Though they were outnumbered two to one, the glorious Russian forces would not be stopped by a professional army, let alone the peasant rabble left to defend the city.

With no guns to stand off my forces, the Prussians were forced to come to me under heavy cannon fire. Their losses were heavy as the frozen fields outside the city offered no cover from the murderous fire. It was only a matter of time before the undisciplined rabble ran for their lives.

​Battle lines are drawn

Nowhere to hide

With Lemberg mine I have taken the first step on the road to domination over all of Europe. Now let all nations recognize the power of the mighty Russian Empire!

A fine start. I hope the AI is aggressive and - don't laugh - clever enough to keep you from steamrolling.

This was a bit of a concern for me too, as the AI leaves something to be desired. However, since I am taking on every nation and thus have zero trade income, I think it will all even out in the end. I really need to pay attention to how and where I spend my money as well as my men, as both are slow to be replaced.

Murder Most Foul

von Bennigsen meets an unfortunate end

Early March 1805

Today misfortune has befallen Russia. General Count Levin August von Bennigsen has been murdered in his field camp just outside the East Prussian border. It would seem the work of the same man who made an attempt on Kutuzov just south of the region several weeks back. No doubt the Prussians saw greatness in the man who defeated them so soundly on their own soil. With the loss of her finest general, Russia has suffered a setback that she can ill afford. I must make finding this assassin a top priority lest he wreak more havoc on my plans.

In more pleasant news Trubochev has been causing his own chaos deep within the Ottoman Empire in recent weeks. In the Ploesti farmlands he set fire to several key buildings under construction, destroying the food stockpiles gathered there and no doubt causing a shortage for the Ottoman people in the coming months. In Caroiva he used explosives to great effect in a weapons manufactory, destroying much of its capacity for producing armaments. The college in Sofia was set to the torch also, sending the feeble old men there running for their lives.

​Weapons manufactories make excellent kindling

Late April 1805

Seeing how immensely useful the underbelly of society can be when applied intelligently, I have obtained the services of one Stephan Ogienko. I shall employ him much as I have done with Trubachev and sow destruction in my enemies’ heartland. I think I am developing a taste for this kind of shady business. It is only a matter of time before all of Europe’s will to fight is broken on the might of Russia!

Ogienko

The Austrians have proven to be the spineless cretins I always knew them to be; they surrendered Klausenberg to Buxhoewden without so much as a fight. That makes two cities captured for him, each victory confirming the trust placed in this man’s hands. At this rate I shall conquer the whole of Europse simply by having him march along all its roads, like a bee flitting from flower to flower, spreading Russia’s pollen across the land. Soon enough the buds shall bloom and the glorious meadow of the Russian Empire shall radiate upon all mankind.

In one week I have received envoys from Sardinia, Hessen and Portugal. All asked for peace and all were turned away. I have no patience for men of little spine and the dogs they send to do their bidding. It was all I could do to refrain from having them killed on the spot. No, this conflict will not end until every last drop of blood has been spilled from my enemies.

Kutusov on the warpath

Early May 1805

​Trubachev faces the music

Alas, poor Trubachev was finally cornered by the Ottomans at the Burgas Dockyards attempting to sneak barrels of explosives into a storage warehouse. The trail of destruction he left behind all the way from Edirve College to the Ploudiv Mines was so vast even the backwards Ottomans could not help but follow it. It would seem he was too enthusiastic for his own good. He was put against the wall before he could detonate his deadly goods in one last act of defiance; that’s no way for a man to die. You will be missed, Trubachev.

Rallying his forces to avenge the murder of the slain General von Bennigsen, Kutusov marched on Königsberg to add it to his list of conquests. Realizing they were outmaneuvered, the Prussians attemped to march to the city’s defense but were too late to save the city. Their forced march caused them to arrive on the battlefield piecemeal, making it possible for them to be defeated in detail, a tactical blunder of the highest order. Time after time the Prussians prove to be no match for the brilliance of Russian generals on the fields of glory.

Hussars engage Prussian infantry

Prussians trading volleys with the Russian line

Late May 1805

A man by the name of Yaroslav Chaikovskay has come to my attention as a possible replacement for Trubochev. Recruited from the seediest parts of Moscow he should be quite suitable for the job. I wasted no time in sending him off to see what he is capable of doing.

Kutusov on the warpath (cont.)

Late June 1805

The calm before the storm

Kutusov wasted little time in making his next move. Next on his list of targets was Danzig. Once again his experienced troops made quick work of the city defenders and another victory added to his ever-growing list of accomplishments.
The scene before the battle was idyllic, one could even call it pristine. Soon enough the city would be a scene of death and despair. The Prussians, in an act of supreme desperation, sacrificed part of the city in order to slay a troop of hussars that were pursuing them through the streets. Deviously they filled a house with explosives and waited for my cavalry to approach. Once the horsemen were near they opened fire on the house with their cannon, detonating the explosives inside and instantly killing the majority of the troop in the streets outside; a clever tactic that I shall not fall for a second time. Knowing they cannot defeat me in a stand up fight this is what they’ve been reduced to.

Early July 1805

In a futile attempt to retake Klausenberg, the Austrian general Karl von Österreich-Teschen was ambushed by Buxhoewden on a lonely road through Transylvania. With double the Austrian numbers, Buxhoewden made quick work of his hapless foes as they marched along the road. With the Russian cannnon on a small hill overlooking the field of battle, the Austrians had no chance to avoid destruction. The Russian army suffered very little losses while von Österreich-Teschen was broken and sent running back down the road, tail between his legs. With the Austrian field army in disarray, Buxhoewden is now free to push further into the Austrian homeland. Having so many impressive victories under his belt, Buxhowden has grown in confidence and daring and is sure to continue to impress me and bring glory to the Empire.

Russian artillery takes part in ambushing the Austrians

Late July 1805

A gentleman by the name of Nikolay Ivanovich Novikov has offered his services to the Empire. He shall be of great use in assisting Speransky in discovering new and interesting ways in which to spread the dominance of the Russian Empire over all of the lesser European nations. I have sent him to the Imperial College at Nizhny Novgorod to study.

Buxhoewden into Hungary

Early August 1805

Wasting little time after his successful ambush, Buxhoewden marched west towards Budapest. Realizing that his superior number of cavalry would be of better use in the field rather than in the streets of the city, Austrian general Johann von Österreich marched out to meet Buxhoewden just east of the city in the Hungarian grasslands. Supporting him was Karl von Österreich-Teschen with a small replacement army, no doubt eager to get revenge on Buxhoewden for the humiliating defeat at his hands the previous month. Though he has not yet had time to fully rebuild his army, he should not be underestimated. The time has come to put this uppity Austrian general down for good!

Austria marches to defend Budapest

The Russian cannon were set up on a hill overlooking the battlefield, with excellent fields of fire and not much cover for any approaching Austrians. To the left and right of the guns musketeers formed the line of battle, with the bulk of the men on the right side. To their right, hidden is a copse of trees the Russian Jägers waited for the enemy to approach. With lots of open ground to my far right and the opposing force made up of so much cavalry, I ordered my grenadiers (led by the stalwart Pavlovsk Grenadier regiment) to form squares and remain out of sight until the enemy approached. They were spaced such that no unit could pass between without drawing fire from at least one of them. If the enemy cavalry attempted to come around my right flank they’d be in for a nasty surprise. Finally, furthest to the right were my Cossack cavalry. They were tasked with remaining out of sight in some trees to see if an opportunity to get behind the Austrian lines would open up. Even if no such opportunity presented itself, they could be used to delay the reinforcements sure to arrive and give me time to adjust my lines.

The battle lines are drawn

As I suspected they would, the Austrians sent their cavalry to my right flank, suspecting a weakness there. My grenadiers did their job, fighting off the majority of the Austrian cavalry and sending them running for the hills.

The Austrian infantry advanced straight for my lines under withering cannon fire, seemingly unconcerned about their mounting casualties. Their own cannon were no match for mine, being on lower ground. Thus they were unable to provide much cover for the infantry. Still the Austrian men marched to their doom, knowing that their probe with cavalry on my flank failed and their guns were outranged.

During this mad attack across open terrain my cannon zeroed in on General von Österreich-Teschen and unhorsed him. As he was rushed to the rear of the Austrian lines a cheer went up among the Russian men. This must surely have disheartened the Austrians but still they came at me with a fierce determination.

Austrian General Karl von Österreich-Teschen is wounded

When they clashed with my lines they were all but already broken. They soon broke and headed to the rear. Seeing an opportunity, I activated my own cavalry and ordered them to head off the fleeing infantry. At once the Austrian commander on the field, Johann von Österreich rallied his men and they reformed their lines. My Cossacks were able to do little to the infantry other than harass them as they reformed, but in the confusion von Österreich left his guns isolated and soon enough my cavalry were able to overrun them. A costly mistake as he now had to attack a second time, now with neither his cavalry nor his artillery.

During this second attack my cannon once again made their mark upon the battlefield felt by the Austrians as a cannonball struck von Österreich and killed him instantly. With the loss of a second general the remaining Austrians were finally routed. The reinforcements that arrived on the field had little effect and were destroyed in turn. Once again the day was won by the indomitable General Buxhoewden.